Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League campaign is on the line as they travel to France for the return leg of their last-16 tie against Lille. The German side is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Dortmund’s domestic campaign has been underwhelming, with a 1-0 home defeat to Augsburg leaving them 10th in the Bundesliga. The team is seven points adrift of the top four and four points away from any European qualifying spot for next season.
New coach Niko Kovac has been trying to turn things around since his appointment in January. While there have been encouraging signs, including a win over Sporting in the play-off round, Dortmund has lost three of their last five Bundesliga matches.
Lille, on the other hand, is dreaming of reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time. The French side has already beaten Real Madrid at home and put six goals past Feyenoord in the group stage.
*A Must-Win for Dortmund*
An exit at this stage would be a significant setback for Dortmund, who reached the final last season. Kovac is trying to remain positive, highlighting the team’s good performances in recent matches.
“We played well in the previous two Bundesliga games and in the first half against Lille, so that gives me hope,” Kovac said. “A coach needs to try to find positives, even in defeat.”
Dortmund will be without Swedish full-back Daniel Svensson, who was injured in the first leg. The team will rely on Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 10 goals in this season’s Champions League.
Lille’s Icelandic international Hakon Haraldsson is confident that his team has the advantage. “I feel like we have the advantage now,” he said after the first leg.
The French side has lost just twice in 20 games in front of their own fans this season. However, they have been eliminated at this stage of the Champions League in their previous two appearances.
The winner of this tie will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face either Barcelona or Benfica.